SE Asia Tour: Prescription drug policies.

[goodbadugly]

Folks, my wife and I are scheduled for a SE Asia Collette Tour in January. I am trying to understand the traveler prescription rules for the countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand) being visited. In particular Vietnam. The internet is not specific on details. I have reached out to the US Embassy, the Vietnam Embassy and Collette and have gotten no where. The Vietnam Embassy in Washington told me to call my airline! When we travel outside the US we always bring a letter from our doctors, a copy of the prescription and the original containers. Does anyone out there have any experience with this?? Thanks

 

[Passepartout]

I think you are doing all you need to with the letter and carrying a reasonable quantity of meds in original containers. That's more than I have EVER done over many years of international travel. Unless you are carrying schedule 1 narcotics or 'recreational drugs', don't worry about it.

US prescription drug laws are more strict than in the vast majority of the world. Different area, I know, but a few years ago, in Spain, a checked bag with my 'script meds in it was delayed (yes, I know not to pack them in a checked bag, but it happened) I simply walked into a pharmacy with a list and the prescribed doses, and within an hour or so had everything replaced. No doctor visit or anything. I had to buy full boxes of each one, but the trip was saved. Incidentally, the bag eventually showed up and I had LOTS of meds.

Jim

 

[goodbadugly]

I think you are doing all you need to with the letter and carrying a reasonable quantity of meds in original containers. That's more than I have EVER done over many years of international travel. Unless you are carrying schedule 1 narcotics or 'recreational drugs', don't worry about it.

US prescription drug laws are more strict than in the vast majority of the world. Different area, I know, but a few years ago, in Spain, a checked bag with my 'script meds in it was delayed (yes, I know not to pack them in a checked bag, but it happened) I simply walked into a pharmacy with a list and the prescribed doses, and within an hour or so had everything replaced. No doctor visit or anything. I had to buy full boxes of each one, but the trip was saved. Incidentally, the bag eventually showed up and I had LOTS of meds.

Jim

Thanks Jim. Actually one of the drugs my wife takes is Vicodin. Without it she cannot function. In addition, some of these countries classify drugs differently. For example, Sudafed is considered a controlled substance!. Anyway I think we'll go with the best precautions we know of. Thanks again.

 

[bnoble]

The State Dept. does not list anything in particular on their page, but they do for e.g. Japan (where many stimulants that are prescribed in the US cannot be brought into the country). If something that common were treated differently, I'd think the State Dept. page would show it.

 

[goodbadugly]

Thanks. I spoke with Collette this morning and the person I spoke to was very knowledgeable. He said they have never had any issues for this tour regarding this topic. He did confirm the steps we were taking correct. He said Dubai was the only country on their list that needed special paperwork. He also added that if we have any issues to call the Collette emergency number. I think we are all set! Thanks again.

 

[bazzap]

We just take our UK prescriptions with us when travelling with medicines in SE Asia to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand.
We have never been asked for these, but were advised that they were all that might be required.

 

[goodbadugly]

We just take our UK prescriptions with us when travelling with medicines in SE Asia to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand.
We have never been asked for these, but were advised that they were all that might be required.

Thanks Barry

 

[daviator]

I have traveled to all of those countries a number of times with no problems. I think you are taking appropriate precautions and are unlikely to even be checked, but should they search your bags, I think you’ll be ok with individual original bottles and doctors notes.

These countries are pretty dependent on tourism and it doesn’t benefit them to take a hard line against paying customers (tourists) bringing in small quantities of prescribed medicine for their own use.

Dubai is not a country, but the UAE (the country) is notoriously strict, and also includes things like steroids as well as opiates on their banned list. But even they aren’t really trying to trip up Western tourists, though I’d be wary about traveling there if I NEEDED to get in with opiate pain meds, it just takes one overzealous border agent to ruin your trip.

I presume youare traveling between the countries by land, so probably the one that really matters is the first country where you will arrive by air. When I have crossed land borders between some of those countries, the formalities have been really simple, especially when traveling with a tour group.

 

[VacationForever]

We went to all these countries listed by OP and more and simply pack our pre-filled pillboxes and a list of our prescriptions. We never ran into any problems. If needed, we could always log into our pharmacies' portals to show our prescriptions.

 

[goodbadugly]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm feeling a lot less paranoid now!